Empowering Indigenous Youth for a Healthy Future

I scream, you scream, we all scream for dental hygiene! As part of the disease prevention unit of our In-School Health Training Initiative to Empower Indigenous Youth for a Healthy Future, we cover the importance of dental hygiene and oral health care. According to the World Health Organization’s 2012 data, 60–90% of school children worldwide have dental cavities. All of these numbers could be lowered with better oral hygiene. The lack of oral hygiene routines lead to the buildup of plaque on teeth and gums, causing painful tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. These issues can be prevented with the understanding and accessibility of a hygiene regimen of flossing, brushing teeth, and using a mouthwash. 

Our In-School Health Training Initiative allows Rising Minds to deliver trainings related to oral hygiene. Through donations, we are able to secure a toothbrush for every student of our partner preschool, CEIBI. Our oral hygiene and dental health trainings cover topics such as the anatomy of a tooth, proper brushing techniques, how to floss, how to care for primary and permanent teeth, and how what we consume, food and drink, can affect the health of our teeth. To help ensure kids are brushing their teeth at home, every student is given a monthly calendar to track the number of times they brush. A calendar is also hung at the personal hygiene station in their classrooms. 

Even the most basic oral hygiene effectively prevents most plaque and therefore reduces the risk of developing dental issues. Oral hygiene improves quality of life by preventing cavities and other tooth decay, and therefore also preventing the discomfort and risk of more severe issues associated with tooth decay and gum disease.